Floor polishing machine



May 31, 1938. c). HoLM-HANSEN ET AL 2,119,386

A FLOOR POLISHING MACHINE Filed Aug. 28, 1954 Inventor-'s I Omund Holm-Hansen;

Noble HWGTES Patented May 3l, 1938 FLOOR `POLISHING MACHINE Osmund Holm-Hansen, Stratford, and Noble Watts, Bridgeport, Conn., assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York` Application August 28, 1934, Serial No. 741,840

9 Claims.v

Our invention relates to polishing machines for polishing floors and the like.

An object of ourinvention is to provide a compact polishing machine which may be used under l furniture and in otherplaces having small clearance.'

Another object of our invention is to provide an improved arrangement for detachably fastening thepolishing elements to the driving spindles.

.l Further objects 4and advantages of our invention will become apparent as Vthe followingdescription proceeds. V i. In the drawing Fig. 1 is a perspective .view of a polishing machine embodying our invention; Fig. ll 2 is an enlarged perspective view ofthe handle and the latch for latching the handle in position; Fig. v3 is a sectionalvicw of the driving mechanism for thelpolishing elements; Fig.4 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the polishing' machine; 20 Fig.'5 is a fragmentary plan view of the polishing machine; and Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the polishing machine with polishing elementsfor 'final polishing;

Referring to the drawing'. the polishing ma# 25 chine comprises polishing elements or brushes 2 which are driven through reduction gearing contained in an enclosed `casing .I by a horizontal shaftmotor 3 attached to the rear of the casing I and extending'rearwardly vfrom the casing in fsu substantially the same plane as the` casing. A

handle '4 is pivotally attached at 5 to the motor 3 for guiding the machine over a floor or other surface to be polished. Since there are no rolls to support the machine,` the entire weight of the a5 polishing machine is supported on the brushes 2 which increases the effectiveness of the polishing and no marks are made on theA iloor. As the motor 3 extends horizontally from the casing I,

' the polishing machine can be used under furni- '40' ture or in other places where the vertical clearance is small.

lT'he casing I', In which the driving mechanism for the brushes is located, comprises a concave shell la having ridges 6 at the front and de- 45 pending sides 41 to which a plate 8 is secured by scewstting into lugsj 8. The lugs 8 are disposed at intervals about theinner surface of Vthe depending sides 1. A gasket '33 arranged about the edges of the plate'A -8 is compressed mgsmst 9. shoulder A9a oil the'shell Ia and Drovides Van oil-tightjoint. The niotor 3 is attached l tothe rear side of the shell Ia by studs` 2 8 and extends longitudinally in substantially the same planeas 'the shell. 'Thef motor has a horizontal Imi shan :tamn extends withiatneasing l and rotated in opposite directions.

is journaled in a bearing 21 whichis carried in a bearing support 28 formed integrally with the shell Ia. A worm is attached to the end of the shaft 26. 'I'he plate 8 is provided with four integral tubular bearing supports I8, II, I2 and 5 I3 which extend vertically above and below the plate. A bearing I4 is arranged in each o! the bearing supports. Each bearing extends slightly above the upper end of. the bearing support and is provided at its lower end with a shoulder I5 which l0 engages the lower end of the bearing support. Fourvertical spindles I6, I1, I8 and'I9 are journaled in the bearings I4. Each of the inner spin-v dles I1 and I8 has attached to its upper end a cone-shaped member 2l having a worm wheel 22 on itsouter periphery which meshes with the worm 25 secured to the. motor shaft 26. As the motor shaft turns, the spindles I1 and I8 are A conical shaped cup 23 attached to the inner surface of each of the worm wheels 2 2 carries oil from depressions 34 in the plate 8 to the inner surface of the worm wheel from which the oil is thrown by centrifugal force through holes 24 to lubricate the worm gear l25. Oil slingers 20 are attached to upper ends 25 of spindles 'I6 and I9 and prevent leakage of oil around these spindles. Clutch members or holders 35, 36, 31, and 38 forreceiving the' polishing elements are respectively connected to the lower end of each of the spindles I6, I1, I8, and I9. Each oi these holders comprises ametal cup 39 which is threaded'on lthe end of the spindle and has an annulus 40 of resilient material such as rubber molded around the depending rim. The inner surface o the annulus of rubber is tapered vto provide a conicalv 'clutch surface for frictionally engaging the conical'surface 42 ofthe polishing elements. The outer surface of the rubber is cylindrical and the outer surface of the 4rubber on holders 36 and 31 '40 frictionally engages the outer surface of the rubber on holders 35 land 38 and forms a fric tion drive between the spindles .I6 and I1 and the spindles i8 and I9 respectively. The inner conical surface of the rubber vpr'ovides a convenient 45 clutch for holding the brushes or polishing elements 2-from which the 4brushes may lbe readily removed. l The spindles I1 and I8 are rotated in opposite 'directions by the motor shaft 28 and the outer 150 spindles I8 and I9 `are rotated in opposite directionsby the clutches and 31. Adjacent polishing elemeutsare therefore driven in opposite directions. Thethreads on the spindles I6, I1, I8,

and I3 are arranged'sqghat the holders 35.38,v 55' 31, and 33 tend to tighten on the spindles as they are rotated. As the machine is supported by the polishing elements, this manner of rotating these elements tends to prevent the machine from turning on the oor or other surface to be polished. Lugs 4| which are positioned on the casing la over spindles form stops which prevent the spindles from dropping into the inner compartment of the casing when the casing is turned upside down, and the clutches are unthreaded from the spindles.

'I'he handle 4 has at its lower end arms 45 which are pivotally attached at 5 to the motor 3. Instead of'being freely pivotable, however, the handle is arranged to be latched in a number of xed angular positions. This arrangement Iof the handle allows the machine to be supported on -the brushes and makes additional support for the machine unnecessary. The relatively ysmall brushes provide a narrow line of contact and permit wide variation in the angle of the polisher to the floor without interfering with the operation of the machine. `In the surface of the motor frame, there are provided slots 43 in which a spring-pressed latch 44 disposed Within the handle is adapted to be positioned to hold the handle in one of a number of fixed angular positions. The upper ends of the arms 45 are threaded to receive a union coupling 46 which joins the arms to the handle 4. Disposed within .the passageway formed when the arms 45 are thus joined to the arm 4 is a split latch casing 41. This latch casing is provided with shoulders 48 which engage the arms 45 and prevent the latch casing being moved. The latch 44 is disposed within the latch casing and a compression spring 49 normally presses the latch downwardly into engagement with one of the slots 43. A lever 50, pivoted at 5| and extending through an opening in the latch casing 41 is provided for moving the latch out of the slots 43 against the action of vthe spring 49.

A conductor 52 adapted to he connected to a source of electrical supply and containing the conductors 53 and 53' is introduced into the hollow handle 4 through an opening adjacent the switch 54. The conductors 53 and 53' are led through the handle 4 and connected to binding screws 55 on opposite sides of the latch casing 41. As the latch casing fits snugly within the arms 45, the casing is cut away to provide clearance for the conductors 53 and 53. These conductors are connected to the motor. The end of the handle 4 is provided with a hand grip 58 for the convenience of the operator'.

In Fig. 6, the polishing machine is shown equipped with two polishing elements each having a felt polishing disk 6| of larger diameter than the brushes 2 which is suitable for final polishing. The felt disk is loosely attached to the lower side of a rubber holder 62 by a pin 63 having a split shank which extends through the the disk portion 61 of the holder which is of friction material such as rubber and molded integrally with the lower end of the neck 65. The disk portion of the holder is reinforced and maintained in a fiat condition by a metal disk 68 which is embedded therein. The inner edge 69 of the disk 68 is bent upwardly and extends into the neck 65 to reinforce the connection between the neck and disk portions of the holder. The outer edge 10 of the disk 68 is turned up to provide a reinforced edge. From the upper edge of the neck 65 of the holder, integral rubber walls 1| ilare outwardly and upwardly to a hollow hub 12. A metal ring 13, having a serrated inner surface 14 molded to the outside of the hub 12, has a tapered outer surface which is adapted to engage the tapered inner surface of holders 35 or 38 to complete the driving connection to the polishing element in the same manner as the tapered surface 42 of brushes'2. 'I'he walls 1| of the holder provide a flexible universal joint connection which allows the felt disks to be maintained in contact with the floor through a wide variation in the angle of the polisher to the floor. The polishing element shown in Fig. 6 can be used for sanding by substituting a sand paper disk for the felt disk illustrated.

Although we have shown a particular embodiment of our invention, we do not desire to be to the lower end of'said spindle, said holder having an annulus of resilient material with a tapered surface, and a polishing element secured to said holder by frictional engagement with said tapered center of th'e felt disk 6| and through a hole 64 l fastens the felt disk to the holder 62 so that the disk remains in position 'on the holder when the machine is lifted from the floor. chine rests on the floor, the felt disk is driven by frictional engagementl with the lower surface ofv surface.

2. In a polishing machine, a vertical spindle, means for driving said spindle, a holder secured to the lower end of said spindle, said holder having an annulus of resilient material, and a polishing element secured to said holder by frictional engagement with the inner surface of said annulus.

3. In a polishing machine, a vertical spindle, means for driving said spindle, a holder secured to the lower end of said spindle, said holder having an annulus of resilient material with a tapered inner surface, and a polishing element having a complementary tapered surface secured to said holder by frictional engagement with said inner surface.

4. In a polishing machine, a vertical spindle, means for driving said spindle, a holder secured to the lower end'of said spindle, and a polishing element, said holder and said polishing element having complementary tapered surfaces at least one of which is formed of'resilient material for holding said polishing element in said holder.

5. A polishing machine comprising` a casing having two vertical spindles rotatably carried therein, a holder secured to each of said spindles, said holders having an annulus ofA resilient material with a tapered inner surface, the outer surfaces of resilient material on each holder beingv in frictional engagement, said holders being adapted to hold a polishing element` by frictional en- When the magagement with said tapered surface, and. means for driving one of said spindles.

6. In a polishing machine, .a vertical spindle.`

means for ldriving said spindle, a metal cup secured to said spindle and having a depending rim, an annulus of rubber having a tapered surface secured to said rim, and a polishing element seured to said spindle by frictional engagement with saidtapered surface.

7. A polishing machine comprising a casing having ltwo vertical spindles rotatably carried therein, a .metal cup having a depending rim secured to each of said spindles, an annulus of-rubber having a tapered inner surface secured to each of said rims, the outer surfaces of each annulus of rubber being in frictional engagement,

a polishing element securedto each of said spinmaterial with a tapered surface, a polishing element, a rubber holder for said polishing element having a hub secured to said clutch member by vfrictional engagement with said tapered surface and having flexible walls below said hub for permitting alignment of said polishing element with the surface being polished.

9. In a polishing machine, a vertical spindle, means for driving said spindle, a clutch member secured to the lower end of said spindle, said clutch memberl having an annulus of resilient 'material with a tapered surface, a vrubber holder for a polishing disk having a hub secured to said clutch member by frictional engagement with said tapered Vsurface and having a disk-shaped portion at the lower end. and a polishing disk secured to said holder at thecenter and driven by engagement with the lower surface of the diskshaped portion of the holder, said holder having flexible walls below said hub for permitting alignment of said polishing disk with the surface being polished.

OSMUND HOLM-HANSEN. NOBLE H. WATTS. 

